Emotional Content...Not Anger

Emotional Content...Not Anger

Like most of my contemporaries, I am a big Bruce Lee fan. As a teenager, I saw Enter the Dragon 36 times...in the theatre...before it came out on VHS.
I even smuggled in a cassette recorder so I could learn the lines better. Eventually, I new EVERY line of the movie...not just Bruce Lee"s lines, but everyone"s. And....my friends and I could re-enact entire fight scenes.
I still watch Enter the Dragon at least once a year. I still thoroughly enjoy it. But it is a different movie now. Watching as a teenager, it was just about the fight scenes. Now, when I watch it I see hints of the wisdom and philosophy that was Bruce Lee.
A great example of this is the scene where Bruce Lee teaches a private lesson to a young Shaolin disciple. At one point, the disciple gets frustrated and strikes out ineffectively towards Bruce Lee with a side kick. Bruce Lee responds with his classic line, "Emotional content, not anger. Now try again, with meaning". I always loved that line.... but when I first heard it, I loved it because it sounded cool. Now, 40 years later, I think I am beginning to understand the wisdom behind these words.
So what is " Emotional content"? I believe it is "engaging your spirit"..."being present focused with the right intent"...."being in the zone"..." having mental focus + physical energy + emotional calm". How ever you might refer to it, Emotional content is "You... at your best".
It seems to me that the concept of "Emotional content" is not just an abstract mindset for fighting. It is a important concept that applies to virtually every aspect of a well lived life.
Imagine what would happen if we mindfully applied the concept of "Emotional content" to things like: Teaching, Gardening, Cooking, School , Work, Competition, Conversation, Exercise. Good stuff is bound to happen. Don"t you think?